22 March 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the Institution «National Reference Centre for Tropical Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital-IRYCIS, Spain» as a new (SPA-55) Collaborating Centre for «Clinical management of Leishmaniasis», effective for a period of four years. Dr. Rogelio López-Vélez and Dr. Begoña Monge Maillo will act as Heads of the Centre.

The Institution will be the fourth WHO collaborating Centre for leishmaniasis in the world and the second one in Spain.

Ramón y Cajal University Hospital – IRYCIS

THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COLLABORATING CENTRE ARE

To support WHO in the creation or update of clinical protocols on diagnosis and treatment of leishmaniasis that will be used by health workers to properly diagnose and treat the disease.

To provide training to selected health personnel from endemic countries in the area of clinical case management (diagnosis and treatment).

To provide technical support to improve leishmaniasis surveillance at individual and subnational levels.
WHO will use the summarized information to populate country profiles and the global leishmaniasis database.

The department of Control of NTDs at WHO headquarters has designated the Institution to formalize an
ongoing collaboration for over 20 years in the area of clinical management of several forms of leishmaniases with focus on treatment of the visceral types.

The institution has already contributed to the hosting of six WHO consultative meetings on Leishmania-HIV co-infection; to the facilitation of five WHO training workshops; and to the publication of eight WHO technical documents or manuals.

In addition, Dr. López-Vélez is a member of the WHO expert panel in leishmaniasis since 2009; and Dr. Monge Maillo worked as consultant in leishmaniasis for WHO European Regional Office in 2019.

DOCTORS

Dr. Rogelio López-Vélez

Dra. Begoña Monge Maillo

Dr. José Antonio Pérez Molina

Dra. Francesca Norman

Dra. Sandra Chamorro

Dra. Clara Crespillo

Dra. María Dolores Corbacho

Dr. Santiago Moreno